Although radiofrequency (RF) ablation has been accepted as a curative treatment modality for solid organ tumors, intraductal RF ablation for malignant biliary obstruction has not been widely described.The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy (in terms of stent patency and survival) of intraductal RF ablation combined with biliary stent placement for nonresectable malignant biliary obstruction.A search of the nonresectable malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction database (179 patients) identified 18 consecutive patients who were treated with biliary intraluminal RF ablation during percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage and inner stent placement (RF ablation group) and 18 patients who underwent inner stent placement without biliary intraluminal RF ablation (control group). The patients were matched for tumor type, location of obstruction, tumor stage, and Child–Pugh class status. Primary endpoints included safety, stent patency time, and survival rates. The secondary endpoint was effectiveness of the technique.The RF ablation and control groups were closely matched in terms of age, diagnosis, presence of metastases, presence of locally advanced tumor, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, and chemotherapy regimen (all P > .05). The technical success rate for both groups was 100%. The median time of stent patency in the RF ablation and control groups were 5.8 (2.8–11.5) months and 4.5 (2.4–8.0) months, respectively (Kaplan–Meier analysis: P = .03). The median survival times in the RF ablation and control groups were 6.1 (4.8–15.2) months and 5.8 (4.2–16.5) months, with no significant difference according to Kaplan–Meier analysis (P = .45). In univariate and multivariate analyses, poorer overall survival was associated with advanced age and presence of metastases (P < .05).Intraductal RF ablation combined with biliary stent placement for nonresectable malignant biliary obstruction is safe and feasible and effectively increases stent patency time. However, it does not improve patient survival.

Objective To compare efficacy, survival outcome and prognostic factors of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), drug-eluting beads TACE (DEB-TACE) and 90Yttrium-radioembolization (Y90) for the treatment of liver metastases from gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NELM). Methods This retrospective analysis included 192 patients (58.6years mean age, 56%men) with NELM treated with cTACE(N=122), DEB-TACE(N=26), or Y90(N=44) between 2000 and 2014. Radiologic response to therapy was assessed according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and World Health Organization (WHO) using peri-procedural MR imaging. Survival analysis included Propensity score analysis (PSA), median overall survival (MOS), hepatic progression-free survival, Kaplan-Meier using log-rank test and the uni-and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model (MVA). Results MOS of the entire study population was 28.8months. As for cTACE, DEB-TACE and Y90, MOS was 33.8months, 21.7months and 23.6months, respectively. According to the MVA, cTACE demonstrated a significantly longer MOS as compared to DEB-TACE(p=.04) or Y90(p=.032). The five-year survival rate after initial cTACE, DEB-TACE and Y90 was 28.2%, 10.3% and 18.5%, respectively. Conclusions Upon PSA, our study suggests significant survival benefits for patients treated with cTACE as compared to DEB-TACE and Y90. This data supports the therapeutic decision for cTACE as the primary intra-arterial therapy option in patients with unresectable NELM until proven otherwise.

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) combined with Iodine-125 seeds strand to treat hilar malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). Methods: This retrospective study included patients who had received SEMS with 125 I seeds strand (seeds group) or SEMS alone (controls) to treat hilar MBO. Demographic, biochemical, stent patency, overall survival and complications data were extracted and analysed. Results: A total of 76 patients were included (seeds group, n ¼ 40; controls, n ¼ 36), with a total of 608 seeds deployed in the seeds group (mean, 15.2 AE 4.1 [range, 8-25] seeds per patient). Statistically significant between-group differences were shown in median stent patency time (seeds group, 387.0 AE 27.9 days [95% confidence interval {CI} 332.4, 441.6] versus controls, 121.0 AE 9.1 days [95% CI 103.2, 138.8]) and in median overall survival (seeds group, 177.0 AE 17.9 days [95% CI 141.8, 212.2] versus controls, 123.0 AE 20.4 [95% CI 83.0, 163.0]). There were no statistically significant between-group differences in complication rates. Conclusion: SEMS combined with 125 I seeds strand is safe, feasible, and tolerable in treating patients with hilar MBO, and may be effective in prolonging stent patency time and overall survival.

This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which dexmedetomidine alleviates pulmonary edema in rats with acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal saline control (NS) group, receiving intravenous 0.9% normal saline (5 mL/kg); LPS group, receiving intravenous LPS (10 mg/kg); small-dose dexmedetomidine (S) group, treated with a small dose of dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg · kg(-1) · h(-1)); medium-dose dexmedetomidine (M) group, treated with a medium dose of dexmedetomidine (2.5 μg · kg(-1) · h(-1)); high-dose dexmedetomidine (H) group, treated with a high dose of dexmedetomidine (5 μg · kg(-1) · h(-1)). The rats were sacrificed 6 h after intravenous injection of LPS or NS, and the lungs were removed for evaluating histological characteristics and determining the lung wet/dry weight ratio (W/D). The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the lung tissues were assessed by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA and protein expression levels of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and aquaporin-5 (AQP5) were detected by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. The lung tissues from the LPS groups were significantly damaged, which were less pronounced in the H group but not in the small-dose dexmedetomidine group or medium-dose dexmedetomidine group. The W/D and the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β in the pulmonary tissues were increased in the LPS group as compared with those in NS group, which were reduced in the H group but not in S group or M group (P<0.01). The expression of AQP1 and AQP5 was lower in the LPS group than in the NS group, and significantly increased in the H group but not in the S group or M group (P<0.01). Our findings suggest that dexmedetomidine may alleviate pulmonary edema by increasing the expression of AQP-1 and AQP-5.

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Salt-sensitivity is associated with a more severe target organ injury and higher mortality, even in normotensive subjects. As endothelial dysfunction is predictive for future cardiovascular events, we evaluated whether normotensive salt-sensitive (NSS) subjects have more pronounced endothelial dysfunction compared with normotensive salt-resistant (NSR) subjects. Normotensive subjects (n ¼ 99, aged 25-50 years) were selected from a rural community in northern China. Salt sensitivity was assigned if mean BP increased by X10% from a 1-week high salt (18 g/day, NaCl) to low-salt diet (3 g/day, NaCl). Endothelial function was assessed by testing the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery using high-resolution ultrasound, as well as nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels, in plasma and urine at baseline. Blood pressure at baseline was similar between NSS and NSR subjects, but diverged during salt intervention. Furthermore, FMD was significantly lower in 17 NSS subjects (10.2 ± 2.5 vs 14.5 ± 1.6%, P ¼ 0.037) compared with NSR subjects. In addition, average plasma NOx levels were lower in NSS subjects than NSR subjects (61.2 ± 3.23 lM vs 82.5 ± 1.61 lM, P ¼ 0.034). Moreover, Both FMD and plasma NOx levels were negatively correlated with the degree of salt sensitivity (r ¼ À0.435 and r ¼ À0.459, respectively, Po0.01). However, there was no difference in urine NOx between the two groups. Our study indicates that endothelial dysfunction could contribute to the long-term higher levels of target organ injury and higher mortality observed in NSS subjects.

BackgroundThere is a high incidence of maternal hypotension in spinal anesthesia for cesarean section. The aim of the study is to investigate whether there is a height-based dosing algorithm of bupivacaine that provides adequate anesthesia with less maternal hypotension.MethodsThere were 2 groups of 280 parturients who did not receive prophylactic fluid preloading: Test and Conventional group. In Test group, a height based dosing algorithm was used to confirm the dose of bupivacaine in parturients without prophylactic vasopressors. In the Conventional group, a constant dose of bupivacaine was used. The complications and quality of anesthesia were evaluated.ResultsIn the Conventional group, the shorter participants had higher incidence of hypotension, faster sensory block time, and more participants with complete motor block (p = 0.030, 2.957 × 10−14, and 0.012). In the Test group, the incidence of hypotension, sensory block time, and number of participants with complete motor block did not change with height (p = 0.199, 0.617, and 0.209). The height-based dosing algorithm of bupivacaine decreased the incidence of hypotension (p = 0.004), induced lower sensory block level and less degree of motor block (p = 3.513 × 10−7 and 5.711 × 10−11). The quality of analgesia, quality of muscle relaxation, and degree of intraoperative comfort were similar in both groups (p = 0.065, 0.498, and 0.483).ConclusionsThe height influences the dose of bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia; without prophylactic fluid pre-loading and vasopressors, the height-based dosing algorithm of bupivacaine is suitable, and meets the cesarean section' requirement with less maternal hypotension.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03497364.

Portal vein (PV) occlusion after liver transplant is an uncommon clinical situation, and percutaneous interventional treatment for this condition has not been widely described.The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment effect of interventional treatment for PV occlusion after liver transplantation (LT).Follow-up data of 13 patients who received interventional treatment for PV occlusion after LT between July 2007 and April 2013 were analyzed. Of these, 10 patients had portal hypertension-related signs and symptoms. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty and stent placement were performed, with percutaneous thrombolysis treatment as appropriate. Embolization therapy was required for significant collateral circulation. Technical and clinical success, complications, and patency of PV were analyzed.Both technical and clinical success was achieved in 11 of the 13 patients (84.6%). Direct portogram showed limited PV occlusion in 7 patients and extensive PV occlusion in 4 patients. The former underwent balloon angioplasty followed by stent placement, while the latter underwent balloon angioplasty followed by stent placement and additional percutaneous thrombolysis treatment. Embolization therapy for collateral circulation was performed in all 4 patients with extensive PV occlusion and 1 patient with limited PV occlusion. All stents remained patency during the follow-up (28.5 ± 6.8 months). No portal hypertension-related symptoms reoccurred during follow-up.In conclusion, interventional treatment for PV occlusion after LT showed a high success rate and good long-term results. Comprehensive interventional treatment should be used for extensive PV occlusion.